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///Story: CMC in a sitch
///Author: Bio Plus
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Applebloom was watching her sister practice roping apples with wide eyes.
“Do you think I could be as good as that Applejack?” She asked excitedly.
“Well of course little Sis.” Applejack said putting a hoof on her back. “Why don't I teach you some of the basics.” She said putting the rope around her neck.
“Really Applejack?” Applebloom said jumping up and down with excitement.
Applejack encouraged Applebloom to rope a young sapling, while telling her what she has to do to get it right. After a while Applebloom was starting to get the hang of it and roping the sapling without any effort.
“Well I'll be.” Applejack said. “I'd say you're a real natural at roping little Sis, if you keep practicing then soon enough you'll even be better than me.” Applejack looked proud.
“Really? A natural?” Applebloom said lighting up. “Did I get a roping cutie mark?” She quickly looked at her flank, but it was as blank as always and her spark disappeared. She sighed with disappointment.
“Don't look so down Applebloom, just because you didn't get a cutie mark right away, doesn't mean you won't get one if you keep practicing.”
“Oh, I get what you're saying. I might get a cutie mark if I do it more times.” Applebloom grabbed the rope again and tried three more times. “How about now?” She looked but still blank. This time she puffed out her lip.
Applejack laughed. “Stop being so impatient and stop fretting about it, just keep practicing.” Applejack smiled as she walked away to do her chores.
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo zipped passed Applejack to meet Applebloom. “Hey Applebloom!” They said together.
“Hey girls.” Applebloom replied with a sigh.
“What's got you all down?” Scootaloo asked.
“It just seems like we've already tried everything there is to try to earn our cutie marks and we've still not got em.” She said kicking the rope with her front hoof.
“There must be something we haven't tried yet.” Scootaloo said thinking.
“Why don't we take a look around town for something to do?” Sweetie Belle offered.
Scootaloo nodded. “Yeah! That's a great idea.”
“We've already done everything in town.” Applebloom replied.
“Well, how about we just go down to Sugar Cube Corner then, maybe we can think of something while we have something to snack on?” Sweetie Belle offered.
“I suppose.” Applebloom said and followed her two friends into town.
“I'm sorry Miss Twilight Sparkle.” Said the gray pony with a prism cutie mark. “We're all out of lenses for your telescope.”
“Microscope.” Twilight corrected him. “But I do have one of those to.”
“Yes, but like I said we're in short supply of glass right now. We're hardly able to keep up with our regular orders of spectacles and such. Our source in Ponyville hasn't been able to deliver lately and we had to order stock from Canterlot. I do apologize for the inconvenience but I can't help you right at the moment.”
“Thank you anyway Mr Glaze.” Twilight said leaving the store. “That's no good.” She said to herself. “How am I going to finish that painting spell? Maybe I should send Spike to Canterlot to fetch me some lenses.”
Twilight saw the three Cutie Mark Crusaders passing by looking depressed.
“And what are you up to today girls?” She asked with a friendly smile.
“That's just it Twilight.” Applebloom moaned. “We don't now what to do to earn our cutie marks.”
“Well, don't let it get you down girls. There are endless possibilities, you could do anything.”
Applebloom's eyes suddenly lit up.
“Anyway, I'll see you later girls, I have an errand to give to Spike.” Twilight said trotting off.
“That's it!” Applebloom suddenly burst out.
“That's what?” Scootaloo asked surprised.
“We can do anything!”
“But we don't know what to do?” Sweetie Belle answered.
“We don't know what to do.” Applebloom said. “But maybe everypony else can help us. We'll make posters and put them all around town saying 'we can do anything'. Then if anypony has anything they need help with they can call us and we'll have a chance at earning our cutie marks!”
“That's a great plan!” Scootaloo exclaimed.
“There's some paper at my sister's boutique.” Sweetie Belle said. “We can go do it right now.”
And with a loud. “Cutie Mark Crusaders poster makers!” From the three of them they were off towards Carousel Boutique.
It wasn't long before half of Ponyville was covered with posters announcing: Cutie Mark Crusaders. If you have a problem. We can help with anything.
And it wasn't long before an old pony named Pier saw the posters. He looked a bit weather worn, with a messy beard and an untidy gray mane. He had a light brown coat with the cutie mark of a seagull and his hooves were stained and looked a bit green.
Pier walked up to the three fillies who was still busy putting up posters. “Hey you young'ins.” He said in a tired, but clear voice. “Is it true? What it says on these papers? You can help a pony with any problem?”
“That's right, Mr Pier.” Applebloom replied. “If you need help, we'll have the job done before you can say cutie mark.”
“I don't know a thing about cutie marks, but if you want a job meet me down at the beach on the morn.” The old pony said and went his way.
“Will do Mr Pier.” Scootaloo answered.
“What's a morn?” Sweetie Belle asked and the other two shrugged their shoulders.
The next morning the Crusaders was sitting on the beach, patiently waiting, their red and golden capes blowing in the early sea breeze, while Pier pushed a rowboat to the edge of the water.
“'Right.” Pier finally said and turned towards them. “Every day I pick up coral-scales along the beach here, it is my job. Sometimes there's two and another twenty, it doesn't matter. But of late there haven't been any coral-scales showing up.” Pier put his head into the boat and pulled out what looked like a slimy glass scale. He put it down in front of the Crusaders. “This here is a coral-scale. They use em in town to make all matter of glass and glass things. While in their skin they don't break easy.” Pier smashed his hoof on the scale to proof his point. “But if you cut it open the water inside will leak out and turn to glass, then it's very frail and breaks easily. It will turn back into water after a time, but the townsfolk has ways of making it stay glass. It grows fast on the reefs, breaks off and washes ashore, but sometimes it gets stuck in the reefs and the reef won't grow right. I figure it is what happened and I need a pony to go down there and kick em loose, that is your job.” He said pointing to the three.
Scootaloo jumped up excited. “So all we have to do is dive down to the reef and kick loose some coral-scales? Sounds easy, we'll be done in no time.”
“Yeah!” The other two yelled and they all ran to the boat.
“Now wait, wait, just hold on a sec.” Pier said. “Are you sure you fillies can handle yourself with this here rowboat?”
“Of coarse Mr Pier, there's no need to threat.” Applebloom replied and they pushed the boat into the water.
Sweetie Belle and Applebloom jumped in next to one another and each gabbed an our. “What are you doing?” Scootaloo asked.
“Rowing.” Applebloom replied.
“Agh!” Scootaloo rolled her eyes and put her hoofs on the front of the boat, she flapped her wings and the boat easily moved forward over the still water.
Sweetie Belle and Applebloom smiled and brohoofed each other for Scootaloo's genius.
“Is this the place?” Scootaloo asked stopping the boat.
“Yup.” Applebloom answered.
“It's really dark down there.” Sweetie Belle said. “I can't see a thing.”
The three put on their diving gear. Scootaloo was the first to finish and gave a short jump from the boat into the water, she disappeared into the water, but then she came back up standing waist deep beside the boat.
“Scootaloo, what are you doing?” Applebloom asked surprised.
Scootaloo took off her goggles. “I don't know.” She said, also surprised. She started jumping up and down, splashing water everywhere. “It's shallow.” She said when she stopped.
“Really?” Applebloom said and jumped in next to her. “You're right.” She said standing waist deep next to her.
Sweetie Belle followed next. “This can't be right.” She said wadding through the water. “We're in the middle of the ocean. How can it be shallow?”
“Maybe we're on a whale.” Applebloom offered, she walked out further ahead and suddenly disappeared under the water without so much as a scream.
“Applebloom!” Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo yelled and ran towards the spot Applebloom disappeared from, but there was nothing there.
The two searched all around the spot, all the time yelling Applebloom's name. And then just as suddenly Scootaloo disappeared.
“Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle screamed now in a panic, she jumped to where Scootaloo was and then, just for a moment she felt the ground beneath her move and she was gone too.
Sweetie Belle was led through a giant pipe, she was going too fast to open her eyes and she didn't dare to breath. It only took a few seconds, but for Sweetie Belle it felt like forever before she was thrown out of an opening and landed on both Scootaloo and Applebloom.
“What are you two trying to do? Crush me? Get off.” Applebloom said from the bottom of the pile.
The Crusaders got up one at a time and looked at their surroundings. They were in a dark room with the only light shinning down on them.
“Where are we?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“In the belly of a whale?” Scootaloo asked.
“It sure is dark in here.” Applebloom squinted and took a few steps forward.
Suddenly a bright green unicorn pony with pitch black hair jumped out at Applebloom. The pony swiftly kicked out with her back legs and passed over Applebloom's head, missing her by inches. Applebloom stumbled back out of surprise and walked into her friends, sending them all crashing down together.
The green unicorn studied them with glowing green eyes that was surrounded by a pitch black mask. “It's only a bunch of kids!” She screamed, turned around and disappeared into the darkness.
“Really?” Another voice sounded in the darkness.
The lights went on and the Crusaders could finally see around them. They were in a round room, there wasn't much there except for pipes leading in and out, not far from them stood a long glass cylinder, it was dark inside and didn't look like it was being used. In front of them stairs led to a second floor that looked into the first.
From there the owner of the second voice looked down at them. He was a blue earth pony with a black and gray mane. His mane was short in front, but long at the back, tied in a pony tail. He also had a scar over one eye. But what caught the Crusaders' attention the most was his flank, it was blank.
“They do look smaller then other ponies I suppose.” He said to the green unicorn, who was standing next to him now. With the lights on they could see that the green unicorn's cutie mark was a black four sided diamond shape.
“Welcome!” The blue pony said loudly. “To my lair. The lair of Doctor Kraken!”
“Wow, Mister, this is a really neat place you have.” Applebloom replied.
“Yeah.” Scootaloo added. “Much cooler than our tree house.”
“What?” Dr Kraken asked surprised. “Wait! Aren't you scared?”
“Why would we be scared?” Applebloom asked.
“Your in the lair of Dr Kraken.” Dr Kraken answered.
“Yes?” Applebloom asked him confused.
“Well.” Dr Kraken thought. “And I'm blue.” He answered stretching his eyes wide.
“Rainbow Dash is blue.” Scootaloo said.
“Blues is blue.” Sweetie Belle said.
“Minuette is blue.” Applebloom said.
“Being blue is probably not so strange, I guess.” Dr Kraken mumbled.
“That's a really cool scar Mister.” Scootaloo said.
“My scar?” Dr Kraken was brought back from his thoughts. “You like it?” He asked with a devious smile.
“Yeah, how did you get it?”
Suddenly the green unicorn burst out laughing. “Yeah, tell her how you got it Dr K.”
“Sea Green! Be quite. You're making me look bad.”
“He cut himself while shaving.” Sea Green laughed and fell over.
“I slipped on the wet floor! It could have happened to anypony!”
The Crusaders couldn't help but snicker to themselves.
“Be quiet!” Dr Kraken yelled. The Crusaders tried not to laugh. “Who are you kids? And what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school or something?” Dr Kraken asked annoyed for being laughed at.
“We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” They yelled together. “And we are crusading for our cutie marks.”
“Crusading for your cutie marks?” Dr Kaken asked confused.
“Yeah!” They yelled again.
“Are you crusading for your cutie mark, Mister?” Applebloom asked.
“My cutie mark?”
“Your flank is also blank.” Scootaloo said pointing to it.
Dr Kraken looked at the spot where his cutie mark should be. “Oh, I got rid of my cutie mark a long time ago.” He said with a sneer.
The Crusaders' mouths dropped open in surprise.
“He dyed it blue.” Sea Green said and Dr Kraken shot her a look.
“Why would you do that?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“It didn't fit my personality.” Dr Kraken answered.
“But a cutie mark shows your special talent.” Applebloom said.
“I wanted a new special talent.” Dr Kraken was looking more confident of himself now.
“What do you mean?” Scootaloo asked.
Dr Kraken walked to a lever and pulled it. “Behold.” He said and the large cylinder started to lit up.
Inside the large glass cylinder the Crusaders could see rows and rows of coral-scales, arranged in circles spiraling all the way to the top.
“This little invention of mine will give me a new special talent. Ruler of all Equestria!” Dr Kraken laughed. “When I activate this machine the liquid inside the coral-scales will turn to glass, and when the rays of the sun is absorbed and reflected through each of the glass-scales the suns intensity will be magnified. The results will become a powerful laser and I'll destroy Canterlot and the Princesses with their own sun.” Dr Kraken laughed maniacally. “What do you think about that?” He asked the Crusaders.
The Crusaders all shrieked in a panic and started running around.
“What? Wait. Stop that!” Dr Kraken tried to calm them.
The Crusaders ran out the nearest exit as fast as their legs could go.
“Sea Green stop them!” Dr Kraken ordered.
“Yeah, yeah.” Sea Green jumped to the lower floor and went after them.
The Crusaders ran as fast as they could, not knowing where they were going.
“We stumbled into the lair of a mad pony!” Scootaloo said in a panic.
“A mad scientist pony.” Sweetie Belle added.
“He's going to try and take over Equestria!” Applebloom worried.
“What do we do?” Asked Sweetie Belle.
“We have to stop them!”
“Are you crazy?” Scootaloo exclaimed. “Did you see that scary looking green mare?”
“We have to do something.” Applebloom said. “I'll try and distract her while you find a way out of here. We have to tell Twilight.”
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo nodded and they split up.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle entered a room filled with all kinds of machines and equipment. They looked with awe at everything, their eyes wide with wonder.
“This must be the control room.” Scootaloo said walking up to a table with vials and beakers.
“Maybe we can stop them from using the laser.” Sweetie Belle said opening a hatch on a large machine build into the wall. Inside she saw a bunch of electrical boards. “Do you think one of these controls the laser?”
“How should I know?” Scootaloo said walking over. “Let's just break stuff.” She grabbed a few boards with her teeth and pulled them out.
Sweetie Belle, getting into it, followed some cables and pulled them out of the wall.
The two soon had every electrical thing pulled out, ripped off or thrown over.
They looked proud at their handiwork and brohoofed each other before leaving the room.
Sea Green ran into the corridor and got hit by diving goggles. She sneered and looked towards the side where Applebloom was standing.
“You better not mesh with me.” Applebloom said. “I know kung-fu.” Applebloom jumped into the air and did a flying kick towards Sea Green. Sea Green easily got out of the way and Applebloom crashed into the wall.
Looking down at the fallen Applebloom, with the sneer still on her face, Sea Green's horn and four hoofs started to glow with green magic. With her front hoof she punched a hole into the iron wall above Applebloom's head.
“But I can't do that.” Applebloom yelped and ran away.
Sea Green launched to stop her, but her hoof was stuck in the wall. With an annoyed scream she pulled out her hoof and left a large gash in the wall as she did.
Applebloom trotted on the spot in a panic. “What do I do? What do I do?” She said looking around. Along the corridor she saw a thin door. She quickly opened it and found a bucket of water and mop inside. “This is perfect.” She grabbed the bucket and threw the water out over the floor.
Sea Green saw Applebloom waiting for her with a mop in her mouth. She grinned and her horn and hoofs started to glow again as she ran towards Applebloom. Suddenly she lost her balance on the wet floor and slipped towards Applebloom out of control. Applebloom lowered the mop in front of Sea Green.
Sea Green's eyes widened. “No!” She tripped over the mop and slid into the wall with a crash. “That's it.” Sea Green said dazed from the crash, Applebloom had fled as soon as her task was done. “I'm going to get that filly!”
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had moved to a large hot room. Large pipes led everywhere, entering from one side of the room and exiting from another. Large fans turned behind gratings and the noise of air being sucked in and blown out was everywhere.
“Where are we now?” Scootaloo asked looking around her.
“Maybe there's something at the top.” Sweetie Belle said and ran towards some stairs. Scootaloo followed her as she started to climb up.
“No!” Scootaloo suddenly exclaimed.
“What's wrong?” Sweetie Belle asked looking back.
“My cape came off.” One of the pipes near her, loudly sucking in air, had her cape stuck in the air hole. She jumped over to it and grabbed the cape with her teeth. “Give it back you stupid pipe.” She said through her clenched teeth.
Sweetie Belle could hear the pipe straining as air couldn't get through it.
Scootaloo finally managed to get her cape back and with a sigh of relief she put it on again. The strain from the pipe was also released as air traveled trough it.
Sweetie Belle's face lit up. “Let's close the holes.” She said to Scootaloo. “That might stop this thing.”
“But how?” Scootaloo asked looking around.
“There were loads of stuff in the control room.”
Scootaloo's face also lid up. “Yeah! I think I saw some blankets and stuff there.”
The two Crusaders ran off to fetch materials for their sabotage.
Applebloom was hiding in the back of a kitchen she found along her way. Her earlier encounter with Sea Green had given her a plan and she had the whole room booby trapped with all manner of things. She had put a bag of flour above the door and covered the floor with oil, and used anything that would be useful to slow down Sea Green.
“Nopony will find me in here.” She whispered but loud enough for anypony outside the door to hear. She smiled to herself and hid behind a counter while she waited.
Applebloom heard a loud smash and a glowing green hoof appeared through the wall behind her. Applebloom spun around with wide eyes. Sea Green ripped open a hole in the wall large enough for her to walk through.
“Playtime's over.” She told Applebloom.
Applebloom shrieked and ran away, but she slipped on the oily floor and crashed into the door causing the bag of flour to fall on her and turning her completely white.
Sea Green picked up Applebloom by the scruff with a satisfying grin.
“Sea Green?” Dr Kraken's voice came over the intercom. “What are you doing? The stabilizers are malfunctioning and I can't raise the liar, fix it.”
Sea Green looked at Applebloom. “Let's go find your friends.” Applebloom gave a sneeze and covered Sea Green's face with some of the flour.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had been busy covering every hole they could reach with cloth or paper. Their sabotage looked like an art project. There where multicolored blankets, towels and paper sticking out randomly and vibrated as the pipes tried sucking in or blowing out air. Pipes were hissing with strain and air blew out at high pitched whistles, cracking the glass of the pressure gauges that started raising near to the red.
The two Crusaders were trying to stuff a long piece of fabric into one of the more stubborn holes. The hole first blew out air and then sucked in air and the Crusaders were determined not to be defeated by it. They waited next to the hole while the air blew out and as soon as it started to suck in they pushed as much of the fabric they could into the hole, but before they got half of it in, the air blew all the fabric out again.
“This is useless!” Scootaloo complained.
“We have to do it.” Sweetie Belle said. “Applebloom is depending on us.”
Scootaloo walked over to the levers at the side of the pipe. “If we could only reach it we could shut it down.” She said stretching out as far as she could but not nearly far enough.
“Maybe I can.” Sweetie Belle said climbing onto Scootaloo's back. She reached out just able to nudge the lever with her nose. A little bit more and the lever flipped up. The air in the pipe changed and started to only suck in air.
“You did it!” Scootaloo said running to the pipe and almost dropping Sweetie Belle if she didn't jump off in time. “Now we can block it easily.”
“Yeah.” Sweetie Belle said and grabbed the fabric. She carried it to Scootaloo and they pushed it into the pipe, causing another hole to be blocked and more strain on the pipes.
“We did it.” They said sitting in front of their handiwork with big smiles.
The lever next to the pipe snapped back down and the fabric blew out into the Crusaders sending them spinning backwards. They crashed to a stop into two green legs. The Crusaders, who were now completely entangled in the fabric looked up at Sea Green with wide eyes.
“Oh, this is too precious.” Sea Green said unamused. Applebloom was tied up on her back. She reached out to a lever near her and switched it off. The air in the pipes stopped running and everything went quiet. Most of the things used to stuff up the pipes fell out as soon as the air stopped. Sea Green pulled another lever and the air flow reversed blowing out the rest of it. She leaned down picked up the entangled Crusaders with her mouth and walked out.
The three Cutie Mark Crusaders were back in the room with Dr Kraken. They were tied together with a rope and hung from a chain in the center of the room.
“What happened to you?” Scootaloo asked the flour covered Applebloom.
“I don't want to talk about it.” Applebloom replied gloomily.
Sea Green walked up next to Dr Kraken. “Took you long enough.” Dr Kraken said with a sneer. “What's the matter Sea Green? Can't handle three fillies?”
“They trashed your room.” Sea Green said evenly.
“What!? I just had everything the way I liked it!” Dr Kraken shook his hoof at the Crusaders. “Don't kids have any manners these days.”
Sweetie Belle stuck out her tongue at him.
“Why, of all the...” Dr Kraken ground his teeth in rage. He took in a deep breath to calm himself. “No matter.” Dr Kraken walked over to a lever. “Soon I won't need to worry about you.” He pulled the lever and the floor beneath the Crusaders opened up, revealing the deep sea beneath them. “After you've been eaten by my ferocious, pony-eating sharks!” Dr Kaken finished with maniacal laughter.
“Where's the sharks?” Scootaloo asked.
Dr Kraken stopped laughing and rushed to the railing, looking down into the water. “Sea Green, where's the sharks?” He asked.
“They swam away.” She said.
“They swam away.” Dr Kraken said. “What do you mean they swam away!?” He yelled at her.
“We're in the middle of the ocean!” Sea Green yelled back. “They. Swam. Away!” She threw out her hoof to emphasize her point.
“Why didn't you tell me earlier?” Dr Kraken asked through clenched teeth.
“You're the evil scientist, I don't tell you how to build your death traps.” Sea Green replied.
Dr Kraken spun around, pulled the lever and closed the floor. “I've decided not to get rid of you right away.” Dr Kraken told the Crusaders. “Instead I'll let you witness the destruction of Canterlot and your precious Princesses.”
Dr Kraken started to pull levers and flip switches. The Crusaders felt the lair starting the move as the walls vibrated and air started screaming in the pipes. After the lair stopped moving the roof started to split open and the Crusaders could see the blue sky above them, the sun high in the sky. The large cylinder with the coral-scales also started to move, it lifted up and stopped not far from where the Crusaders were hanging, it then turned and pointed towards Canterlot.
“And now!” Dr Kraken yelled. “The birth of your new ruler!”
The coral-scales started the glow and Applebloom saw the water inside them starting to turn into fragile glass, still protected by the hard skin. At the bottom of the cylinder a stream of light appeared and shot into the first scale, the light split and was concentrated into the next two scales. The light continued it's path up the cylinder, being split and concentrated into one another, in a carefully laid out path, and as the light traveled the cylinder started to lid up with an ominous glow.
Applebloom's eyes suddenly widened. “Sweetie Belle.” She exclaimed excitedly. “Sing. Sing as high as you can.”
Without asking Sweetie Belle started to sing and kept the highest note she could. The sound vibrated through the room. Scootaloo and Applebloom couldn't cover their ears and endured the sound with gritted teeth.
“What's happening?” Dr Kraken asked surprised. Both he and Sea Green had there hoofs over their ears.
The sound penetrated through the coral-scales and the fragile glass inside started to shatter from the vibration. The light in the cylinder lost its complex path and hot beams of light suddenly started to shoot wildly out of the cylinder, burning everything it touched.
One of the beams shot through the chain holding the Crusaders, they fell to the ground, and was freed from the rope that tied them.
“Get them!” Dr Kraken yelled. Sea Green jumped down to the floor.
“Scatter!” Applebloom yelled and Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle ran for the stairs.
Applebloom picked up the rope they were tied with and faced Sea Green.
“Oh, this I've got to see.” Sea Green said amused.
“My Sister taught me this!” Applebloom said and threw the lasso towards Sea Green. Applebloom's aim was perfect and she pulled the rope tight, capturing Sea Greens legs together.
“What?” Sea Green asked surprised as she tried to keep her balance.
Applebloom gave a yell as she did a flying kick towards Sea Green. Sea Green looked up and her eyes went wide, she couldn't move and Applebloom couldn't miss. With a loud thud Sea Green was knocked over and Applebloom hurried after her friends.
Dr Kraken was trying to gain control of the laser when a stray beam cut through the railing and scorched his mane. “I think it's time to leave.” He said to himself. He turned a switch and the door to an escape pod opened up, he picked up a key from the panel and turned around. He was surprised to see Sweetie Belle block his path.
“You're not getting away.” She said.
Scootaloo jumped on Dr Krakens head. “I'll take that.” She said and grabbed the key from Dr Kraken.
“Didn't you ever hear of personal space?” He asked and grabbed at her but she jumped off and out of the way. He spun towards her. “Give that back.” He ordered. Sweetie Belle bit his tail from behind and he gave a load yelp. He spun around again and lost his balance, Scootaloo was ready and ran into his legs. Dr Kraken stumbled backwards and fell through the broken railing.
Sea Green's horn and legs turned a bright green and she broke free of the rope, she jumped up in a rage just as Dr Kraken came crushing down on her.
Applebloom met up with her friends. The room was filled with a flashing red light and alarms sounded everywhere, the laser was still firing out of control. “What now?” She asked in a panic.
Scootaloo smiled and showed her the key. The Crusaders climb into the escape pod and Scootaloo inserted the key and turned it. The hatch closed and the pod was launched into the air. As the pod started to fall back to the sea Dr Kraken's lair exploded with a load bang.
The escape pod landed not far from the shore and debris drifted all around it. The hatch opened and the Crusaders looked out, they saw Pier's rowboat drifting further into the sea with Sea Green and Dr Kraken hanging from it.
They saw Dr Kraken waving his hoof at them and shouting. “You think you're all that, Cutie Mark Crusaders, but you're not!”
The three smiled at each other as the pod slowly drifted towards the beach.
When they reached the beach they jumped out of the pod with excitement.
“We saved Equestria!” Scootaloo exclaimed.
And all three together yelled. “Cutie Mark Crusaders World Savers.”
They looked at there flanks, but as always their flanks were still blank. They gave a deep sigh.
“Not even saving the world gets us cutie marks.” Applebloom said.
“Hey you young'ins!” Pier came running towards them. “I thought I gave you a job to kick loose coral-scales. Not blow up half the darned ocean.”
“Sorry Mr Pier.” They said together.
“Well, it looks like you got to job done anyhow.” Pier said looking at the beach filled with coral-scales. “I better get started if I'm gonna collect all these scales. Now run along, there's a reward waiting for you at Sugar Cube Corner.”
“Thank you Mr Pier.” The Crusaders said and went on their way.
“Hello there Sis.” Applejack said when she saw the Crusaders returning later that day. “All finished helping Mr Pier?”
“Yes Applejack, but we didn't get our cutie marks.”
“Well, Mr Banks showed up not too long ago and asked if you could help him with some trouble he is having with his vault.”
The Crusaders looked at each other with glee. “Yeah!”
“Wait.” Applebloom said and ran to the barn, she came back with a rope hanging around her neck.
The three ran into town yelling. “Cutie Mark Crusaders!”
The End
